Oil reservoir



July 19, 1949. G. M. ARRAGG 2,476,575

OIL RESERVOIR Filed Feb. 4, 1944 INVENTOR.

Patented July 19, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OIL RESERVOIR George M. Arragg, Lawrence, Mass. Application February 4, 1944, Serial No. 521,031 10 Claims. (01. cos-1.69)

This invention relates to oiling devices for spinning machines of the dead spindle type as distinguished from those in which the spindle itself revolves. .It applies to cap frames and ring frames and the term spinning machines is intended to include twisting machines and other similar devices for revolving a strand of textile fibres to produce a twist in it.

In this type there is a row of fixed spindles of uniform cylindrical shape and on each of these is a tube which carries a whirl which is rotated by suitable bands or belting all of well known type. The package carrying tube and its whirl together with a bobbin or other yarn package are revolved at a high rate of speed and are moved up and down on the spindle whether the frame is of the cap or the ring type.

It is necessary to frequently lubricate, usually by/oil, the space between the tube and the spindle or to provide some sort of reservoir which will contain suflicient oil for a longer period.

Ordinarily each spindle must be oiled daily and the main purpose of my device is to provide a suitable oiling device with a reservoir which will permit oiling only once a month or at less frequent intervals.

This is an improvement of my previous patent on Oiling device for dead spindles, of December 20, 1938, No. 2,140,613.

Its objects are to provide a larger oil container between the lifter rail and the whirl without changing or displacing any old parts, and to keep an even film of oil at all times between the moving parts, especially between the tube and spindle.

The so-called lifter rail which raises and lowers the tubes and whirls frequently had an annular recess, close to the spindle, in which an oil pad or absorbent washer was placed but rails are now often made without such a recess.

A difflculty in providing an oil reservoir either with or without an oil pad or Washer is that, particularly whenwfirst oiling, the excess oil will work out, wherever it can find an opportunity, and get on the floor, the ring rail, the stock or on the hands of the operatives from which it is transferred to the stock. On the other hand, it is desirable that the up and down motion of the tube should be utilized in providing a slight suction whereby the oil and oil pad are kept alive and active in assistin capillary attraction to cover all parts of each spindle with a thin film of oil.

Provision must also be made for lubricating the space below the whirl and in providing bearing surfaces which will not wear out too quickly.

To accomplish the above results, I provide a cup which rests on the lifter rail and has upturned inside and outside flanges and I provide a top with a bottom flange which extends inside the cup, and inside of both I provide an oil pad which takes up and stores a relatively large amount of oil.

This permits use of a single large washer completely surrounded by metal in the same space 00- cupied by several washers and sections as shown in my said patent. By making my cover for this large washer and the support for the bearing washer of thin, flat plate material I thereby provide a complete support for a bearing washer of fibre or similar material.

The regular standard used as the whirl rests on turns on it or with it.

In some cases, the washer and support may be combined but in the preferred construction of the support there is an annular central recess for a bearing washer, to keep the tube low but retain strength. The special form of the supports for the tube and whirl are to keep them down in their normal position butto leave as much space as possible for a thick oil pad to act as an oil storer underneath. While in theory, a ball bearing support or a few rounded lugs may reduce friction, I find that they wear out rapidly and the lubricant is not evenly distributed. For that reason, instead of the bottom of the whirl having a small bearing surface or a bearing washer therefor resting on a few points, I provide flat smooth contact surfaces which engage each other and retain the oil longer and cause the tube and whirl to run more smoothly and to wear less rapidly.

I found that when a metal whirl rests on a metal washer, there is a tendency for the washer to stick to the whirl and, in my preferred construction, I use a washer of fibre or of an antifriction material such as a plastic, compressed wood, or even in some cases Babbitt, or other suitable metal.

Preferably, in my construction, as the bottom of the whirl is fiat, I have it rest on the flat, top face of the bearing washer and the fiat, bottom face of the bearing washer rests on the flat top face of its support so that the speed in each place is cut in two. I In other words, a whirl revolving 5000 R. P. M. is revolving 2500 R. P. M. on the bearing washer and the bearing washer is revolving 2500 R. P. M. on the support.

This reduces the amount of oil needed and also the wear and moreover, whatever wear there tube and whirl can be the bearing washer and is comes on the top and bottom faces of a bearing Washer which can easily be replaced.

To support the bearing washer and serve' also as a retainer for the oil pad in which oil is stored as a reservoir, I provide a flat plate with a central spindle hole, around which is preferably an annular recess for the bearing washer, and with sup porting wings which extend out radially, there being oil passages between the wings which allow the oil to soak down from the top while oiling and permit the oil towork up into the recess if used and around the bearing washer while the tube is revolving and moving up and down.

Preferably the bearing washer support is made of tough metal like cold rolled steel rather than the cast iron of which the bottom whirl is usually made. In any event, the bearing washer will preferably be of a material which will slip easily on the bottom of the whirl and which will also slip easil on its support. The oil pad should fit snugly in the space below the support and should be about the thickness of the space below the support. It should have a central hole about the diameter of the spindle, the inside flange of the cup, if one is used, being of a height to allow the oil pad to extend over it. This absorbent pad should preferably be made of a close grained felt or of similar material which will hold the oil and prevent it from dripping.

As the lifter rail rises and falls there is acertain amount of suction, particularly with my construction, which assists the'capillary action and the oil surface movement in lubricating the spindle and underneath the whirl.

The main objects of my invention are to provide, for use between the usual lifter rail and the usual tube and whirl and without changing them, an oiling device with .a large reservoir of oil, and which oiling device can be placed on the usual lifter rail, whether it has an oil washer recess or not, without lifting the tube and whirl above their usual position. My device will also economize oil, reduce wear on the metal parts andconfi-ne wearto a bearing washer which may revolve and on which the whirl may also revolve.

There are five main features namely the cup, the oil pad, the top, the bearing washer support carried by the top, and the bearing washer which in some cases may support itself.

'Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section of a spindle and part of a cap frame with .my device in place.

Fig.2 is an enlarged vertical sectionthrough the reservoir and the rail. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section on the line 33 and Fig. 4 on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 3A is an isometric view of a bearing washer.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a modification of the reservoir; Figs. 6 and '7 of the top; and Fig. 8 of a detail of construction. Figs, 9 and 10 are vertical sections of other modified constructions.

' In Fig. 1, of the drawings S represents a spindle carried by a rail A and carrying a tube T which includes the whirl W driven by band H which passes around the barrel '20 of the whirl between a top flange 2i and a bottom flange 22, 'the bottom or hub 25 of the whirl corresponding with the bottom of the tube T.

The inside of the tube T fits on the outside of the spindle S with a smooth running fit so that the tube T can revolve smoothly at a great speed on spindle S. It can also be raised and lowered with a package of yarn Y by means of a lifter rail L through which is a spindle hole 6. The

- 4 yarn package Y includes a bobbin 1 and yarn 8.

My oil reservoir indicated by O is formed of two parts.

The bottom part is a cup C with a base I, which rests on rail L, and through which is a center hole 3 with an upstanding flange 2, the metal preferably being relatively thin so that an oil pad P with a, center hole 53 can fit around and over flange 2 and will be close enough to spindle S so that oil from the pad will get onto the spindle. Cup C also has an outer annular upstanding flange 4 extending from the rim of its base I preferably above pad P.

The other part of the oil reservoir is the top D which is formed at the bottom with a tubular flange M with a bottom H which rests on the base i of cup C. As shown, flange l4 fits snugly inside the outer annular upstanding flange 4 of cup C and outside of the rim of the oil pad P.

ll is an outwardlyrextending inside annular channel and above this the upper part L0 oftop D tapers to form a truncated conical cap, the end of which 12. fits closely outside of the'bottom flange 22. of whirl W;

The taper allows a much larger oil padas shown in Figs. 1 to 8 and also permits the end or top rim !'2 to fit closely but outside'the edge of the bottom flange 22 of whirl W to trap the air inside the cap and to prevent splashing vof oil as the lifter rail moves up and down,

I prefer to use a single, large oil pad or absorbent washer P to completely fill the reservoir space between the base i of cup C, inside flange M- of top D and below bearing washer support B.

The principal feature of my device is the'support B for a bearing washer F which washer is preferably made of fibre and has atop fiat face 26, a. bottom flat face 2'! and a spindle hole'28 through the middle. 7

The bearing washer support B is preferably made of cold rolled steel or other soft. metal and is flat and preferably smooth at the top and also flat at the bottom. The top is '36, the'bottom 31 and through the middle is a hole 38 There are also a plurality of oil passages ,or holes 29 and wings 30 which wings extend into the channel I 7 thus holding supportiB in place as a support for bearing washer F.

The top of this bearing washer F and'the bottom of the whirl as well as the top of the support 3 should all be flat and relatively smooth so as to give a steady support to the bearing washer and thereforeto the whirl and tube and also to reduce wear from friction.

' Preferably as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, there is an annular washer recess 35 in the top of support B to receive an annular bearing washer F. This washer F shouldbe slightly smallerin dtameter than recess 35 so that it can freely .revolve. Its central hole .28 should be slightly larger than the spindle S to allow the oil :to to move freely between them. and to serve-as-a guide if and when the spindle S should start chattering.

With the clearance between the rim of this bearing washer F and recess 35 and between its hole 28 and spindle S, the washer F can crawl or spin if in such a recess.

As shown in Fig. 5,'the cup G maybe substantially the same as well as'the oil pad P but the top E is shown as all ofone piece. Itmay be cast in the ordinary way, the cast or it maybe made in any other way with the downwardly extending flange ll] which extends'inside of the outside flange of cup G and outside of padP.

The support for the bearing washer F is shown at 42 and preferably has a flat top and bottom on which that washer can rest together with a plurality of oil holes 43 and a spindle hole 44. The upper part or cap 4| is shown as tapering.

In Figs. 6 and 7, the top K has a tubular downwardly extending flange 50 with a tapering cap 5| and the support for the fibre washer F is shown at H. This support H is preferably of flat metal with an outside rim 45, the size of the inside cylindrical face of flange 50. There is a central spindle hole 41 and oil holes 45.

This support H can be held in place by chilling while heating the top K and then shrinking the parts together or as shown in Fig. 8 by spot welding as at 52.

As shown in Fig. 9, the top N may be entirely cylindrical and support M for the fibre washer F can be shrunk or spot welded inside of it or the whole oiling device top can be made integral. The cup 64 is shown as having an outside, upstanding rim 65 but no inside upstanding rim such as 2.

Preferably the outside flange of the cup is slightly higher than the thickness of the absorbent washer to prevent any overflowing of the oil as the lifter rail moves up and down creating a pressure and a slight vacuum as hereinafter explained.

As the area of the cup holding the oil pad, especially in the conical construction, is much greater than the bearing surface of bearing washer F, as the lifter rail goes down, the cup tends to cling to it While the inertia of the yarn mass on the tube T and whirl W tends to hold them back, thus allowing air to get in between the top rim [2 and the edge of flange 22 and upon the upward movement of the rail, the air inside the cap is compressed. The air thus passes through passages '29 and by pneumatic pressure and suction forces oil out of the pad P and draws it back in thus keeping the oil alive.

As shown in Fig. 10, the top R can be tubular and of the right size at its top or cap 69 it can come close to the lower flange 22 of the whirl W but with a constricted part 69, the lower part 6| being of the size to fit inside of a cup such as 62 and outside of an oil pad 68. With this construction the support V need not. even be spot welded or shrunk in place. In fact the support V may be of a shape such as H shown in Fig. 7 but may be made of hard tough stock and will serve itself as a bearing washer and support.

In Figs. 1 and 4 is shown a finger 9 welded or soldered to 4 at 39 and extending down from the cup C to prevent the cup from turning on the lifter rail L but if, as in Fig. 9, the lifter rail 68 has a recess 66 for an oil absorbent washer Bl, as is often the case, the cup C and in fact the whole oil holding device can revolve or crawl on the rail.

If the rail with such a recess and oil absorbent washer 61 is used, and especially if there is no inner flange on the cup, this rail washer 61 helps to absorb any excessive oil and keeps it from running out on the lifter rail.

It will be observed that the various parts are concentric or telescopic and some or all may act as pistons and cylinders as the lifter rail moves up and down.

If at any point the spindle is not fully lubricated, there will be a holding back by tube and whirl on the downward movement of the lifter rail and this will be transmitted to the bearing washer in its recess, if there is a recess, to the support and in fact to the whole top and to the oil pad.

This piston and cylinder eifect is between the flanges 4 and l 4, and between the bearing washer F and the recess in which it rests and there is also a suction and compression of the air over support B on account of the close contact between the flange 22 and the rim I2.

The tendency of the parts to squeeze together on the upward movement of the rail L and to move apart on its downward movement is accentuated by the fact that the band such as H which runs around the whirl has a tendency to pull down on the whirl and to compress everything between it and the rail L when it and rail L are moving up and to have the opposite tendency, to separate the parts, when the rail L is moving down.

That there is pressure is obvious from the mark left by the oil as it is squeezed up through the openings 29 onto the bearing washer support B and in numerous other places. The oil is squeezed and sucked constantly and has the characteristic of being alive instead of dead.

This will have a tendency to create a suction or vacuum between all the adjoining surfaces and to suck oil into them. There will always be some suction even if the spindle is thoroughly lubricated.

On the upward movement, the whole action is reversed so that there is pressure instead of S- tion. There is a piston and cylinder action every time the rail moves.

Moreover as substantially al1 of the outside surfaces or rims of these various parts are cylindrical, they can revolve one inside of the other or crawl according to the amount of lubrication.

Preferably the cup is held against revolving by a finger 9 and the inside face of its outside flange and the outside face of the downwardly extending flange of the top are so rough that, while there may be a crawling, the top will not spin inside the cup.

I claim:

1. In a spinning machine, the combination with the spindle and package carrying tube and its driving whirl, said whirl having a bottom flange and a bearing hub projecting downward therefrom, of an oil reservoir for the tube and spindle comprising an oil cup with a spindle hole through the center of its base and outside and inside upturned flanges, supported on the lifter rail of the machine and having an oil pad therein, a top for said reservoir having a bottom flange extending inside the oil cup and outside the oil pad, an outwardly extending inside annular channel and an upwardly and inwardly extending truncated conical cap with its top rim proximate, but outside the edge of the flange of the whirl to trap the air inside the cap and to prevent splashing of oil as the lifter rail moves up and down, a flat bearing washer support made of a flat plate of tough metal having a central spindle hole, oil passages and supporting wings which extend into said channel, and a flat fibre washer carried by said support inside the top of the reservoir between the support and the said bearing.

2. In a spinning machine, the combination with the spindle and package carrying tube and its driving whirl, said whirl having a bottom flange and a bearing hub projecting downward therefrom, of an oil reservoir for the tube and spindle comprising an oil cup with a spindle hole through the center of its base and outside and inside upturnedflanges,.:supported on the lifterrail of the machine and having an oil pad therein, .aZtOpi for said reservoir having a bottom flange extending inside the on 'cup'and outside the oil pad, an upwardly and inwardly extending truncated' conical cap with itstoprim proximate but ouside the edge of the flange of the whirl to trap the .air inside the cap andto prevent splashing of oil: as the lifter'rail moves up and down, a flat bearing washer support made of a flat plate of tough metal having a central spindle hole, oil passages and supporting wings, and a flat fibre wash'erca'rried by said support inside the top of the reservoirbetween the support and the said bearing hub.

3. In a spinning machine, the combination with the spindle and package carrying tube and its driving whirl, said whirl having a bottom flange and a bearing hub projecting downward therefrom,- of an oil reservoir for the tube and spindlecomprising an oil cup with a spindle hole through the center of' its base and outside and inside upturned flanges, supported on the lifter rail of the machine and having an oil pad therein, atop for said reservoir having a bottom flange extending inside the oil cup'and outside the oil pad, an outwardly extending inside annular channel-and an upwardly-and inwardly extend ing truncated conical cap with its top rim proximate but outside the edge: of the flange of the whirl to trap the air insidethe cap and to pre-' vent splashing of oil as the lifter rail moves up and down, a flat bearing washer support made of a flat plate of tough metal having a central spindle hole, oil passages, an annular bearing washer recess and supporting Wings which extend into said channel, and a flat fibre bearing washer carried by said support inside said recess inside the top of the reservoir'between the support and the said bearing hub.

4-. In a spinning machine, the combination with the spindle and package carrying tube and its driving whirl, said whirl having .a bottom flange and a bearing hub projecting downward therefrom, of an oil reservoir for the tube and spindle comprising an oil cup with'a spindle hole through the centre of itsxbase and an outside upturned flange, supportedon the lifter rail of the machineand having, an oil pad therein, atop for said reservoir-having a bottom flange extending inside the oil cup and outside the oil padand anupwardlyextending cap with its top rim proximate but outside the edge of the flange of the. Whirl to trap the air inside the cap and to prevent splashing of oil as-the lifter rail moves up and'down, a flat bearing washer support made of a flat plate having a central spindle hole, oil passages and an. annular bearing washer recess, and a flat fibre bearingwasher carried by said support in-said recess inside the top of the reservoir between the support and the said bearing hub.

5; In a spinning machine; the combination with the-spindle and package carrying tube and its driving whirl, saidwhirl. having two flanges and a bearing hub projecting downward therefrom, of an-oil T8SeIVOlI"f0Iith6' tube and spindle comprising an oil cup with a spindle hole through the centerof its base and an outside upturned flange, supported onthe. lifter rail of the machine and: having an oil pad therein, a top for said reservoir having a bottom flange extending inside the oil cup and outside the oil pad, an upwardly extending cap with its top rim proximate but outsidetheedge of-the-fiange of the whirl to trap the air inside'the cap'and -to':prevent splashing of oil as the lifter rail moves-up and down; a flat bearing'washer:support madeof a flat plate having a central spindle hole, on passages' and a bearing washer're'cess and a flat fibre bearing washer carried by said support inside-the't'op of the reservoir between the support and the said bearing hub.

6. In a spinning machine; the combination with the spindle andpackage carrying tube and its driving whirl, said whirl having 'two flanges and a bearing hub projecting; downward therefrom, of an oil reservoir for the'tube' an d spindle comprising an oil cup with'a spindle hole through the center of its base and an outside upturned flange, supported on the lifter rail ofthemachine and having an oil pad therein, a top for said reservoir having a bottom flange extending inside the oil cup and outside the oil pad andan upwardly extending cap with its top rim'proximate but outside the edge of the flange of' the whirl to trap the air inside the cap and to prevent splashing of oil as the lifter rail moves up and down, a flat whirl support made of 3a flate plate having a central spindle hole and oil passages positioned inside the top of the reservoir between the support and the said bearing hub.

'7. In a spinning machine, the combination with the spindle and package carrying tube and its driving whirl, said whirl having a: bottom flange and a bearing hub projecting downward. therefrom, of an oil reservoirfor the tube; driving whirl and spindle, comprising an oil cup with a spindle hole through the center of'its baseand an outside upturned flange, supported on the lifter rail of the machine and having an oil pad therein, a top'for said'reservoir having a bottom flange extending inside the oil cup and outside the oil pad, an upwardly extending cap, a flat bearing washer support positioned between the cap and the downwardly extending flange of the oil cup top and made of a flate plate having a central spindle hole and oil passages, and a flat bearing washer of less size than the'oil padcarried by said support inside the cap of the top of the reservoir between the support and the said bearing hub.

8. For use with a spinning machine having a lifter rail, a fixed cylindrical spindle and a package carrying tube with za driving.whirl'revoluble and slidable on the spindle; said whirl having .a bottom flange and a bearing hub projecting downward therefrom; an oil reservoir for the tube including an oil'cup adapted'to rest on the lifter rail with a spindle hole throughthe' centerof its base and an outside upturned annular flange; a top for said reservoir having abottoni annular'd'ownwardly extending flange inside the oil cup flange, said top including an upwardly extending cap; a flat'bealing washer support positioned between the cap and the downwardly extending flange of the oil cup top and-made of a flate plate having a central'spindle hole and on passages; an oilpad positioned in and substantially filling the space between the downwardly extending flange of theoil cup top between the bearing washer support and thebase' of'the oil cup; and a flat bearing washer of less size than the oil pad carried by said support inside the cap of the top of the reservoir between the support and the said bearing hub.

9. For use with a spinning machine having a lifter rail, a fixed cylindricalspindle and a package carrying tube with .a' drivingwhirl-revolubleand slidable on the" spindle, said wliirlhaving a bottom flange and a, bearing hub projecting downward therefrom; an oil reservoir for the tube and spindle, comprising an oil cup with a spindle hole through the center of its base and outside and inside upturned flanges, supported on the lifter rail of the machine and having an oil pad therein part of which extends over the inside flange of the cup in contact with the spindle, a top for said reservoir having a bottom flange extending inside the oil cup and outside the oil pad, an outwardly extending inside annular channel and an upwardly and inwardly extending truncated conical cap with its top rim proximate but outside the edge of the flangeof the whirl to trap the air inside the cap and to prevent splashing of oil as the lifter rail moves up and down, a flat bearing washer of less size than the oil pad support made of a flat plate of tough metal having a central spindle hole, oil passages, an annular bearing washer recess and supporting wings which extend into said channel, and a flat fibre bearing washer carried by such support inside said recess inside the top of the reservoir between the support and said bearing hub.

10. In a spinning machine, the combination with a lifter rail, a fixed cylindrical spindle and a package carrying tube including a driving whirl having two flanges and a bearing hub with a flat bottom projecting downward therefrom, the tube and whirl being slidable on the spindle; of an oil reservoir for the tube, driving whirl and spindle comprising an oil cup with a spindle hole through the center of its base :and an outside upturned flange, said cup being supported on the lifter rail of the machine and having an oil pad therein, a top for said reservoir having a bottom flange extending inside the oil cup and outside the oil pad, an upwardly extending cap the top rim of which is proximate but outside the edge of the bottom flange of the whirl, a bearing washer support including a fiat plate positioned between the cap and the downwardly extending flange of the top of the oil reservoir, and having a central spindle hole, oil passages and a flat bearing washer of less size than the oil pad carried by said fiat plate of the washer support inside the cap of the top of the oil reservoir between said fiat plate and the bottom of the bearing hub.

GEORGE M. ARRAGG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 564,366 Dawson July 21, 1896 1,625,488 Milson Apr. 19, 1927 2,017,957 Erhard Oct. 22, 1935 2,140,613 Arragg Dec. 20, 1938 2,148,274 Lund Feb. 21, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 381,541 Great Britain Sept. 26, 1932 

